Lavatory grope officer's appeal effort thwarted
A former police superintendent jailed for molesting a woman cleaner has failed to persuade the Privy Council to allow him a final appeal against conviction.
Peter MacLennan, 47, is expected to be the territory's last convicted criminal to seek permission from the London court to appeal.
If he had been successful, there would not have been time for the Privy Council to hear the case and it would have been transferred to the Court of Final Appeal.
But his claims that defence barrister Kevin Egan mishandled the case were rejected by Lords Nicholls, Steyn and Hope.
MacLennan was convicted of indecently assaulting the cleaner at a toilet in Tai Po police headquarters on April 11, 1994. A new trial was ordered when fresh evidence emerged.
He was again found guilty and fined $5,000. He was then jailed for six months last August when the Court of Appeal called the fine 'shocking and clearly inadequate'. He has now served the sentence but took the case to the Privy Council to clear his name.
His barrister, Mark Strachan, QC, said Mr Egan had not properly cross-examined the 44-year-old victim and failed to instruct MacLennan to give evidence.
In a letter to the court Mr Egan said he was 'astonished' at the allegations and felt they showed the depths of MacLennan's ingratitude.
Grenville Cross, QC, for the Crown, said Mr Egan had acted in an exemplary manner and the appeal was an 'act of desperation'.
